Identification of body or human remains by dental examination — Comparison of dental examination records with dental records of dental identification system.
RCW 68.50.330
in effectIf the county coroner or county medical examiner investigating a death is unable to establish the identity of a body or human remains by visual means, fingerprints, or other identifying data, he or she shall have a qualified dentist, as determined by the county coroner or county medical examiner, carry out a dental examination of the body or human remains. If the county coroner or county medical examiner with the aid of the dental examination and other identifying findings is still unable to establish the identity of the body or human remains, he or she shall prepare and forward such dental examination records within thirty days of the date the body or human remains were found to the dental identification system of the state patrol identification and criminal history section on forms supplied by the state patrol for such purposes. The dental identification system shall act as a repository or computer center or both with respect to such dental examination records. It shall compare such dental examination records with dental records filed with it and shall determine which scoring probabilities are the highest for the purposes of identification. It shall then submit such information to the county coroner or county medical examiner who prepared and forwarded the dental examination records. If the body or human remains are still unidentified thirty days after discovery, the county coroner or county medical examiner investigating the death must, as soon as practicable, submit information regarding the body or remains to the national missing and unidentified persons system created by the United States department of justice's national institute of justice. Information submitted to the national missing and unidentified persons system must include, to the extent information is available, a detailed personal description, DNA information, copies of fingerprints on standardized eight inch by eight inch fingerprint cards or the equivalent digital image, forensic dental examination records, and other identifying data, including date and place of death. If the identity of the body or human remains is later established, the county coroner or county medical examiner must notify the national missing and unidentified persons system within forty-eight hours.
If the county coroner or county medical examiner investigating a death is unable to establish the identity of a body or human remains by visual means, fingerprints, or other identifying data, he or she shall have a qualified dentist, as determined by the county coroner or county medical examiner, carry out a dental examination of the body or human remains. If the county coroner or county medical examiner with the aid of the dental examination and other identifying findings is still unable to establish the identity of the body or human remains, he or she shall prepare and forward such dental examination records within thirty days of the date the body or human remains were found to the dental identification system of the state patrol identification and criminal history section on forms supplied by the state patrol for such purposes.
The dental identification system shall act as a repository or computer center or both with respect to such dental examination records. It shall compare such dental examination records with dental records filed with it and shall determine which scoring probabilities are the highest for the purposes of identification. It shall then submit such information to the county coroner or county medical examiner who prepared and forwarded the dental examination records.
If the body or human remains are still unidentified thirty days after discovery, the county coroner or county medical examiner investigating the death must, as soon as practicable, submit information regarding the body or remains to the national missing and unidentified persons system created by the United States department of justice's national institute of justice. Information submitted to the national missing and unidentified persons system must include, to the extent information is available, a detailed personal description, DNA information, copies of fingerprints on standardized eight inch by eight inch fingerprint cards or the equivalent digital image, forensic dental examination records, and other identifying data, including date and place of death. If the identity of the body or human remains is later established, the county coroner or county medical examiner must notify the national missing and unidentified persons system within forty-eight hours.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=68.50&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026